I always felt that all of this was one of Zhang Mingsheng’s conspiracies.
How could he possibly allow the two children to go missing while he lay unconscious in bed? How could this be happening to him?
Ah Hai stood across from me, keeping watch as he stared down the empty corridor, his thoughts unreadable. Zhan Weiqing had already entered the hospital room before we got back; since there was recorded communication with Ah Hai, the bodyguards hadn’t dared to stop him.
Dressed in a tracksuit, Zhan Weiqing’s complexion was dull and sallow, and he was so thin he looked little more than skin and bones. His hair hung messily over his forehead, giving him a completely exhausted appearance. Only his eyes remained frighteningly sharp, burning with a feverish, almost manic intensity.
Then there was Zhang Mingsheng. His face was pale, his lips devoid of color. His body was still intact with no missing limbs, though his left hand and forehead were wrapped in gauze. It was hard to imagine that a man like him was made of flesh and blood or that he could be injured and fall into a coma. If I hadn’t shared a bed with him for several years, I would have suspected he never slept at all.
Zhan Weiqing picked up Zhang Mingsheng’s hand and pressed it to his own cheek with deep attachment. His eyes were full of longing, almost piercing through the unconscious man on the bed. He said, “Your complexion has improved quite a bit since she left. All that effort you put in, wasting both money and energy, you probably didn’t expect it, right? She left so decisively that she didn’t even want your children.”
His tone was gentle yet crazed; I had to press my ear against the door to catch the gist of it.
I had long suspected that Zhan Weiqing had feelings for Zhang Mingsheng, and I was well aware of his hatred for me.
He stroked Zhang Mingsheng’s arm, then rose slightly, his fingers fluttering like feathers over the gauze wrapping the patient. Suddenly, his eyes turned red. He said, “My heart aches for you, and I can’t help but blame you. They aren’t even your own children, why did you sacrifice so much?”
Hearing those words, my head snapped up, my mind a complete blank as I turned to look at Ah Hai.
They weren’t Zhang Mingsheng’s children.
What was that supposed to mean?
Seeing the sudden change in my expression, Ah Hai thought something had happened and started to walk over, but I turned my gaze back toward that small window.
There was no time for me to think, because I realized Zhang Mingsheng had opened his eyes. He was staring calmly at Zhan Weiqing like a lacquered statue, just watching without saying a word.
I turned and ran, nearly crashing into an oncoming nurse, while Ah Hai made no move to stop me. The elevators were too conspicuous, so I headed for the emergency exit instead, taking the stairs two at a time and rushing down flight after flight. Halfway down, I finally stopped, gripping the cold handrail as I panted for breath.
Why did Zhan Weiqing say that? What did he mean by saying they weren’t Zhang Mingsheng’s children? Did he know Zhang Xiaoyuan was adopted? But that day, the one Zhang Mingsheng had protected was clearly Keke. He was certain Keke wasn’t our child, why? What did he know?
In my panic, I ignored the sound of approaching footsteps until they stopped just one floor above me. I looked up stiffly, a sense of dread already blooming in my heart.
I saw Zhang Mingsheng smiling.
Like a scene from a horror movie or my own nightmare, Zhang Mingsheng was dressed in blue-striped hospital pajamas and slippers, descending the stairs with an air of casual indifference. He spoke with a tone of helpless indulgence, as though forgiving a child’s misbehavior, “Laopo, it doesn’t matter how you treat me, but you didn’t even care about your own children, you just ran away like that.”
I backed away slowly while watching him with wary eyes. “You care that much yourself? If you don’t care, why should I?”
Zhang Mingsheng seemed to notice something as he looked me up and down. He raised an eyebrow, paused for a second, and asked, “You look quite spirited, Officer Yu. What has Li Yi been feeding you? I’ll have to ask for his recipes later.”
I couldn’t stand his attitude of acting as if nothing had happened, so I walked straight up to him and landed a heavy punch.
His weakness was not an act; his face was knocked slightly to the side, blood seeping from his nostrils. I grabbed him by the collar, so enraged that my voice trembled as I spoke, “Zhan Weiqing said the one you saved wasn’t your own child. What did he mean by that?”
Zhang Mingsheng reached up to wipe away the nosebleed, smearing the red liquid across his cheek. Standing one step above me, he looked down, lowered his gaze, and said softly, “Seeing you like this, I’m not even that angry anymore, Officer Yu. While I’m still weak and can’t fully pin you down and drag you away, feel free to land a few more punches on me.”
“You lied to me, didn’t you? You’ve been lying to me all along, Zhang Mingsheng.” I released him and backed away slowly, my eyes still fixed on him for fear he would seize the moment to move. I asked, “Is Keke actually my child or not?”
“Ah,” Zhang Mingsheng’s surprise was utterly perfunctory. He wiped the smile from his face, leaving it expressionless. He said, “You and Li Yi aren’t even biological brothers, and your teacher isn’t your father either, so how can you trust them so completely? You once stayed by my side only for their safety; now that you’ve left, does that also mean I’m free to break my promise?”
“You dare!” I gritted my teeth in fury.
He stepped towards me, coming so close that I could hear his breathing.
He didn’t even blink as he reached out to stroke the ends of the hair at the nape of my neck. Suddenly, he let out a sigh and said, “Officer Yu, I will catch you again, just not right now. Actually, it might be good to let you experience the world outside for a bit. At least now you seem… full of energy.”
I quickly let him experience exactly how full of energy I was.
In the next second, I clenched my fist and drove it hard into his abdomen.
He recoiled, cowering as he coughed a few times. When he looked up again, he was still smiling.
Unable to face that expression, I fled in a panic.
When I returned to Li Yi’s place, my mentor was already waiting for me there. The moment he saw me, tears welled up and streamed down his face as he opened his arms and pulled me into an embrace. I could only return the hug.
Li Yi stood on the balcony smoking, his figure tall and straight.
He still ended up telling our mentor about me. I couldn’t tell if my recent outing had been what finally made him decide.
In his eyes, I was now like someone addicted; someone whose life had been hijacked by slot machines and drugs, requiring forced withdrawal to recover.
